Disclaimer: I don't own any of Tolkien's works, though I wish I did own a
certain elf. *Grins evilly* That being said, please do not a.) sue me b.)
kill me c.) throw helpless vegetables at me. Thanks. Now, on with the freak-
fest!!!
A rustle and a thumping sound roused the young archer from her dreamlike state in the arms of the great oak. She leaned over, peering down through the branches. Her eyes were like those of an eagle or hawk. And, though it betrayed her this time, her hearing was keener than any other being in Middle Earth.
With as much speed and agility as a large cat, she lept down from her hiding place. After giving the tree one final caress, she crept toward the noise, an arrow fitted in her light but strong bow.
Melime could hear a gruff voice muttering to itself and more rustling and thudding noises. The voice was not orcish as she had feared, but spoke in an annoyed common tongue. The creature- whatever it was- was breathing so loud that Melime wondered how it could have possibly got past her before. Why, she could have shot the beastly thing in the dark!
She waited for the right moment, then pushed through the brush and aimed at her victim. What she found surprised her more than words could tell.
A stumpy Dwarf stood before her, his arms shot up in the air as though he was being held up by a robber. "Don't shoot!" he cried, staring terrified at the point of her arrow that hovered just barely an inch in front of his nose.
Melime laughed and lowered her weapon. "Come now, Master Dwarf. You've no reason to fear me, for your kind are welcome here." With that, she swept the hood of her billowing cloak back.
Clulyan gasped. He stared up at the enchanting young woman. The first thing that he noticed besides the radiant light that seemed to be all around her were her ears. He marvelled at her beauty. Soft pale skin, luscious pink lips, and brilliantly blue eyes. Her dark hair streamed behind her, plaited back like the males of her race. She dressed in the manner of a warrior Elf, but still managed to look wonderfully feminine.
"You... an Elf... where-?" Clulyan stuttered. He was once again blessed by the melody of her laughter. "You are in the Woodland Realm of Mirkwood, my dear Dwarf." My dear Dwarf? Clulyan blushed and was thankful that she could not see the beet red flush of his cheeks because of his beard. Indeed, just to be looked upon by a creature so beautiful as she was enough to make him want to hide his ugliness in shame.
Clulyan had never met an Elf before, but his father spoke of them many times. As a child, being uninterested in girls or silly things like love, his favorite tales were of the adventures of the nine companions who had set out to free the peoples of Middle Earth from the evil Sauron.
But now that he was older and had come to enjoy anything with a remote sense of loveliness, understood what his father had meant when he told him of the Lady Galadriel. Merely touching those three silken tresses that he'd kept in that small wooden box of his brought tears to the elderly Dwarf's eyes.
His father. He'd almost forgotten.
Clulyan managed to bring his eyes up to meet the Elf's. "Pardon me, but since you are from Mirkwood, then maybe you can help me. I was sent to find a certain Elf-lord. I have an urgent message for him from my father..." He searched his mail nervously until he found the slip of parchment stamped with his family's seal. This he handed to her.
"May I know who I am to deliver this to?" she asked after a long pause between them. "Oh y-yes... I... ummm..." Suddenly Clulyan's mind was a blank. Who was it again? He wracked his nervous brain. More heat spread to his cheeks as he stuttered and saw her holding back a smile. Who was it? Lembas? No, that's a food... Legal? No. Legaless...
"Legolas! That's the name- Legolas," he nearly shouted. Relief surged through his tiny body. Legolas, that was it.
The grin dissolved from his lips when he saw her face. Her cheeks blanched, the smile disappeared, and the glow around her seemed to fade. She stared ahead blankly. He had shaken her, but how, he didn't know.
Finally, he cleared his throat and brought her out of her trance. To his surprise, she crumpled the letter up in her slender hand. Then she turned on her heel and began to walk away briskly.
"Wait, Miss Elf! What is the matter?" She stopped and stiffened. A voice that was as cold as stone and just as gritty, responded, "You're wasting your time here if you're searching for Legolas." "Why? I was told he resides in Mirkwood-" "He did. But that was a long time ago, Master Dwarf." "But what am I to tell my father?" "Tell him that he disappeared years ago. That is all he need know." "And who should I say gave me this message, Miss Elf?"
Clulyan sneered this last comment out, angry with her for snapping at him.
She whirled around to face him. "His daughter."
A rustle and a thumping sound roused the young archer from her dreamlike state in the arms of the great oak. She leaned over, peering down through the branches. Her eyes were like those of an eagle or hawk. And, though it betrayed her this time, her hearing was keener than any other being in Middle Earth.
With as much speed and agility as a large cat, she lept down from her hiding place. After giving the tree one final caress, she crept toward the noise, an arrow fitted in her light but strong bow.
Melime could hear a gruff voice muttering to itself and more rustling and thudding noises. The voice was not orcish as she had feared, but spoke in an annoyed common tongue. The creature- whatever it was- was breathing so loud that Melime wondered how it could have possibly got past her before. Why, she could have shot the beastly thing in the dark!
She waited for the right moment, then pushed through the brush and aimed at her victim. What she found surprised her more than words could tell.
A stumpy Dwarf stood before her, his arms shot up in the air as though he was being held up by a robber. "Don't shoot!" he cried, staring terrified at the point of her arrow that hovered just barely an inch in front of his nose.
Melime laughed and lowered her weapon. "Come now, Master Dwarf. You've no reason to fear me, for your kind are welcome here." With that, she swept the hood of her billowing cloak back.
Clulyan gasped. He stared up at the enchanting young woman. The first thing that he noticed besides the radiant light that seemed to be all around her were her ears. He marvelled at her beauty. Soft pale skin, luscious pink lips, and brilliantly blue eyes. Her dark hair streamed behind her, plaited back like the males of her race. She dressed in the manner of a warrior Elf, but still managed to look wonderfully feminine.
"You... an Elf... where-?" Clulyan stuttered. He was once again blessed by the melody of her laughter. "You are in the Woodland Realm of Mirkwood, my dear Dwarf." My dear Dwarf? Clulyan blushed and was thankful that she could not see the beet red flush of his cheeks because of his beard. Indeed, just to be looked upon by a creature so beautiful as she was enough to make him want to hide his ugliness in shame.
Clulyan had never met an Elf before, but his father spoke of them many times. As a child, being uninterested in girls or silly things like love, his favorite tales were of the adventures of the nine companions who had set out to free the peoples of Middle Earth from the evil Sauron.
But now that he was older and had come to enjoy anything with a remote sense of loveliness, understood what his father had meant when he told him of the Lady Galadriel. Merely touching those three silken tresses that he'd kept in that small wooden box of his brought tears to the elderly Dwarf's eyes.
His father. He'd almost forgotten.
Clulyan managed to bring his eyes up to meet the Elf's. "Pardon me, but since you are from Mirkwood, then maybe you can help me. I was sent to find a certain Elf-lord. I have an urgent message for him from my father..." He searched his mail nervously until he found the slip of parchment stamped with his family's seal. This he handed to her.
"May I know who I am to deliver this to?" she asked after a long pause between them. "Oh y-yes... I... ummm..." Suddenly Clulyan's mind was a blank. Who was it again? He wracked his nervous brain. More heat spread to his cheeks as he stuttered and saw her holding back a smile. Who was it? Lembas? No, that's a food... Legal? No. Legaless...
"Legolas! That's the name- Legolas," he nearly shouted. Relief surged through his tiny body. Legolas, that was it.
The grin dissolved from his lips when he saw her face. Her cheeks blanched, the smile disappeared, and the glow around her seemed to fade. She stared ahead blankly. He had shaken her, but how, he didn't know.
Finally, he cleared his throat and brought her out of her trance. To his surprise, she crumpled the letter up in her slender hand. Then she turned on her heel and began to walk away briskly.
"Wait, Miss Elf! What is the matter?" She stopped and stiffened. A voice that was as cold as stone and just as gritty, responded, "You're wasting your time here if you're searching for Legolas." "Why? I was told he resides in Mirkwood-" "He did. But that was a long time ago, Master Dwarf." "But what am I to tell my father?" "Tell him that he disappeared years ago. That is all he need know." "And who should I say gave me this message, Miss Elf?"
Clulyan sneered this last comment out, angry with her for snapping at him.
She whirled around to face him. "His daughter."